I’m a little obsessed with birds and Blake Shelton. On Sunday, I spent the day at home, trying to write, but mostly I watched the birds eating from the feeders outside our kitchen window. How many photos of birds can one take? Tons. Unfortunately, none of them are very good. I don’t have a fancy camera (only my iPhone), and if I get too close, they fly away. Even so,ย you can see the bright red cardinal. He’s a regular, and he’s gorgeous. I call him Blake. There’s a female too (not pictured). I call her…
wait for it……………Miranda.
I also spent lots of time watching a robin build a nest in the bend of the gutter downspout. (I call her Robin.) I wanted to say oh honey, that spot doesn’t look very safe. But what could I do? We don’t know each other very well yet. She flewย back and forth fromย the boulderย in our yard pickingย out bits of moss growing on it and carryingย it to her nest. As she dropped each bit inside her new home, she wiggled her little tail feathers around to get everythingย just right, then returned for more. I’d never known a bird to use moss in nest-building.ย She knows what she wants, and that’s a soft cushionย for her egg-laying business.
Later, whileย attempting to clean the front porch of pollen (pointless), I noticed a second bird nest made of twigs. Although I didn’t seeย the owner of this particular home, I believed it to be new construction.
Location, location, location! Prime spot in my opinion.
Just before sunset, a storm blew in. Swift and strong. The sky turned eerily sepia-colored, the way I imagine the Martian sky toย look. The wind blew like thatย of West Texas. It was a short-lived event, and I managed to watch the CMAsย Blake Shelton (the real Blake Shelton) without interruption. I’m not much of an awards show sort of girl, but I couldn’t miss the CMAs with Blake Shelton hosting. I heart him from afar. Okay, not that far…he and Miranda (I-hate-to-admit-it-but-I-have-a-girl-crush) live in Oklahoma, you know.
The next morning, the sky reappeared blue and bright, clear and clean. The noisy, hungry birds returned to the feeders, but the robin didn’t fare so well. Her nest lay on the ground, mushed and flattened by the wind and rain.
Seeing that nest on the ground started my day on a sad note. One little bird. All that hard work. I was glad I spentย part of my Sundayย with her.
Now, I’m not trying to get all preachy here, but the two nestsย reminded me of the Wise Man / Foolish Man Bible Story. You know, the wise man built his house upon the rock and the foolish man built his on the sand… (The porch nest survived the storm.) I was also reminded of Winnie the Pooh. And the rain, rain, rain, came down, down, down…ย I don’t think theย hardworking robin was foolish. I think she was doing the best she could. Since the storm, I haven’t seen her again. I hope she’s busy rebuilding her home in a better spot. Live and learn. That’s what we do.
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
[tweetthis]Blake Shelton, Birds and Home. My 3 current obsessions. @BlakeShelton #notastalkerthough [/tweetthis]
Musical Pairing:
Blake Shelton & Miranda Lambert – Home
Katharine says
Talya, I loved this.
And I think your remaining nest belongs to a house wren.
Colene says
What fun! I’m sure it is hard to stay focused on writing, with all of the wonders of nature, surrounding you. I haven’t resorted to naming our birds yet. LOL! I named the little calf, that we see on our walks, Macy.
Barbara thompson says
Delightful thoughts. Robins built on our down spout 2 years. The kids loved quietly watching the nesting process. Thanks
Lauren Spann says
Thanks for sharing! Loved this post ๐
Dorothy Johnson says
Sweet post. I hope that little robin found a safer place. Last year when a storm blew a mockingbird out of a tree onto our patio, I felt so bad for the birds. They must have rebuilt someplace close because I still them around.
Joanie @ ZagLeft says
It’s nice to slow down and enjoy the birds that fly into your yard. They’re so pretty to look at, I think I would have spent the day watching them too.